Brigadier-General Ellison Capers, Confederate Military History, a library of Confederate States Military History: Volume 5, South Carolina
Clement Anselm Evans, Ed.

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[594] attack on Fort Sumter, and immediately afterward fired a ten-inch shell from a mortar, which was the first shot fired at the fort, and, according to Federal Lieut. Richard K. Meade, fell inside the walls of Sumter. Not long after Lieutenant Gibbes resigned his rank in the State forces, and going to Richmond, was assigned to duty with Gen. H. A. Wise, with the rank of major and command of three batteries of artillery. He was on duty in West Virginia until in the autumn he was a victim of the typhoid fever which ravaged the troops in that region, and was disabled for six months. During his convalescence he was in command of a camp of instruction at Columbia, and in October, 1862, he was ordered to report to Gen. E. Kirby Smith, commanding the department of East Tennessee. Reaching that officer in Kentucky, just after the battle of Perryville, he was appointed chiefof-staff of General Heth, commanding a division. About a month later, after having sustained the fatigues of the retreat to east Tennessee, he again succumbed to typhoid fever, by which he was disabled until May, 1863. He was then detailed at Nassau a few weeks on ordnance service, and on his return was put in command of the city defenses at Wilmington, under General Whiting. In April, 1864, being ordered to report to General Longstreet, he was assigned to Cabell's battalion of artillery, with the rank of major, and in this capacity he served in the battle of Spottsylvania Court House and the following engagements, including the battle of Cold Harbor. Subsequently he was in command of a battalion of three batteries on the Petersburg lines until the explosion of the Crater, when he was desperately wounded, causing his disability until February, 1865. On returning to duty he was assigned to the command of heavy artillery at Chapin's Bluff until the evacuation. On the retreat he marched in command of his artillery force as infantry, 500 strong, until ordered to turn over his men to Major Styles and assist Colonel Hardaway with his command of light artillery, with which he was surrendered at Appomattox. While in command at Chapin's Bluff he was recommended for promotion by General Lee, but never received his commission. After the close of hostilities he was variously employed, mainly in farming, until 1877, when he was appointed treasurer of Richland county, an office to which he was re-elected three times. During